


Crossing Field

by Rainripple



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Minor Character Death, Past Eustace/Ilsa, Tags to be added, Vampire AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:15:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23689795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainripple/pseuds/Rainripple
Summary: Eustace prepares himself for a slow death but it seems life has one last nice surprise to throw at him.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Crossing Field

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the AU where Eustace is half vampire but the situation is drastically different from the first fic I posted ages ago. I'm still planning it actually but I was itching to release some sort of fic so here is the prologue. Fingers crossed I will actually finish this AU. It's pretty obvious who else is going to come in but I'll wait until I actually add more to this fic before tagging them.
> 
> Title inspired by the same song by LiSA.
> 
> As always, my twitter is @LuckyRainripple if you want to talk to me more abt Society stuff.

The hospital room is quiet. It’s dark; the only source of illumination is the moonlight filtering in through the window.

An elderly erune lies in her bed. In her hey day, she was a formidable commander, well known for her fiery temper and foul language but even she is not immune to the wear and tear of time. Her family will regret not being there for her in her final moments but that is not Eustace’s problem.

Sneaking in through the window is child’s play. His feet land neatly on the tiled floor with almost no sound and he approaches the bed just as quietly. He comes to a stop at her bedside and waits.

As expected, her large ears twitch. She turns her head towards him and squints. “Eustace?”

“Ilsa.”

She snorts. “So _now_ you show yourself.”

“You know why.”

Ilsa’s hand weakly pats the bed beside her. “Sit down.” When Eustace doesn’t move, she adds, “You look like the grim reaper standing like that.”

“Hmph.” He acquiesces and sits on the edge. “And what if I am.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Her index finger twitches in what he presumes is meant to be a come hither motion. “Now come closer. Let me get a look at you.”

Eustace leans forward, getting closer at Ilsa’s repeated insistence until he is so close his hair tickles her face. Her eyes are clouded, making it difficult for her to get a clear view but even she can see that Eustace looks exactly the same as he did close to a hundred years ago. One ungloved hand rests lightly in Ilsa’s. The difference between her wrinkled one and his calloused but still relatively smooth hand is striking. They are the same age and yet Eustace could still pass off as a regular middle aged erune…if only he was one.

“Dermatologists must hate you.”

“Everyone hates me,” he replies dryly.

Some moments pass by in relative silence.

“What have you been doing all these years?”

“Things.” She snorts at his vagueness. “Looking after dogs.”

“Of course you would.” She elaborates, “Have you talked to anyone recently?” Before he can open his mouth she adds, “ _Not_ including the dogs or people who have run away from you.”

His silence translates into a big No.

Ilsa shuts her eyes and sighs. “I see. I would say I hope you find someone who likes you but you don’t have much time left either, do you?”

Eustace nods. “A few months. A year at most.”

“I would say something corny like “would you like to die with me” but honestly I think you should at least try finding a girlfriend before you die.”

“Girlfriend my ass.” He does not tell her that he is somehow unable to die before his due date regardless of whether he wants to or not.

“Oh…? A boyfriend then?” She’s smirking now. “Ah yes, I can see. Nice, big, draph man. Excellent for your touch-starved cuddling needs.”

Eustace rolls his eyes. They banter quietly for a few minutes. He missed talking to her more than he realises. It’s been so long. She knows next to nothing about his life after she helped him escape and while he did occasionally stop by to check she was not in danger, he was forced to stay distant for both of their safety and as such barely knows anything about her either. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if they were even going to have anything to talk about when he visited but like always, she keeps the conversation going for them.

Eventually though, her eyes begin to droop. The end is nigh. His hand squeezes hers gently.

Even as the life begins to drain out of her, she still manages to make confident eye contact with him. “I’m serious. I hope you find someone to make your last year a happy one.”

With that, her eyes slide shut and her final breath passes out. He gently brushes her hair and lightly kisses her hand. “Good night.”

Eustace rings the bell to get the nurses’ attention and leaves the scene long before they get there.

000

He watches her funeral from a safe distance away. When night comes and all her visitors finally go home, he emerges from the shadows and lays his own flowers on her grave.

His last friend is gone now. The last dog he took in died a few months prior and he doesn’t dare risk getting any more. He prepares himself for some slow, slow months of waiting. He is glad that Ilsa got a painless death; Eustace knows for sure he won’t be getting one.


End file.
